Comfort and Kisses
by Kitabma
Summary: Set right after Harry leaves Dumbledore's office at the end of OotP. Minerva comes in to find a very miserable Dumbledore... how will she comfort the man she's secretly loved for years?


Comfort and Kisses

Albus Dumbledore sighed and buried his head in his arms once Harry left his office.

_Harry hates me._

The tear that had been steadily making it's way down Albus' face was joined by another, then another, then another, until the Headmaster of Hogwarts was sobbing like a lost child.

_Sirius' death is my fault._

He didn't hear the knock on the office door, or see the concerned face of his best friend, Minerva McGonagall, as she heard his sobs. He didn't hear her enter the room and immediately cross the floor to kneel on the floor next to him. He jumped slightly when she put a hand on his shoulder, then quickly pulled his emotions together and sat up.

"You're back from St Mungo's, Minerva? That's excellent news," Albus said, attempting to sound cheerful. Minerva put her hands on her hips.

"Don't try to pretend nothing is wrong, Albus Dumbledore!" she chastised him. "Albus, what has happened?" she asked, her voice soft and comforting. Albus blinked a couple of times, sadly, then pulled her up from her knees. She looked confused for a moment until Albus pulled her down to sit on his lap.

"Harry hates me and I deserve it," Albus whispered brokenly. Minerva wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug.

"Oh Albus, what happened?" she asked worriedly.

"Voldemort sent Harry a vision yesterday of Sirius being tortured in the Department of Mysteries. Harry went there with his friends and found the prophecy. Voldemort didn't manage to get it, it got smashed, but Sirius was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange – " Minerva gasped " – and I just told Harry the contents of the prophecy. It's my fault that Harry has lost his only father figure and now he hates me," Albus finished, wrapping his long arms around Minerva's slim waist and allowing the tears to fall freely from his eyes.

"Albus, Harry hasn't lost his only father figure. He still has you," Minerva said.

"He hates me," Albus whispered miserably. Minerva shook her head.

"You're a very hard person to hate. Albus, you didn't make the prophecy, Harry would never hate you for that," she said softly, rubbing his back comfortingly. Albus sighed, resting his head on her shoulder.

"If I had told him the contents of the prophecy earlier, he wouldn't have gone to the Department of Mysteries tonight. He trashed my office, Minerva. He said he didn't want to be human any more!" Albus told her. "He asked me once, when he was eleven, why Voldemort had tried to kill him as a baby, but I didn't tell him then. I was so stupid, Minerva! Why couldn't I see that I had to tell him? I cared about him too much already, I knew when he lost his parents that I had to be careful not to get close to him! But I was so stupid, and now he hates me for it!" Albus said sorrowfully. Minerva sighed, hugging him closer to her. She loved the man she was sitting on, as more than a friend. She wanted to be able to kiss his troubles away, but she didn't know if he returned her feelings.

Where's your Gryffindor courage, Minerva? Think of it this way: either he returns your feelings and you can kiss his hurt away, or he doesn't return them, in which case he'll get an ego boost which should make him feel slightly better.

Minerva lifted her hand up to stroke Albus' cheek, wiping the tears away. Albus stared into her eyes, trying to work out what she was about to do. Minerva leaned closer to him, parting her lips slightly. Albus moved towards her and their lips met, softly brushing, before they kissed for real. The kiss was soft and tender, and when they broke apart a couple of minutes later the two best friends smiled softly at each other.

"Albus, I love you," Minerva confessed softly. Albus smiled for the first time that day, reaching up to tuck a loose tendril of hair behind her ear.

"I love you too, Minerva," Albus told her. Minerva smiled and leant towards him. Their lips met in a second sweet kiss, conveying their love for each other. They didn't hear the knock on the door, nor hear it open, or hear Harry Potter look into the room. Harry, once he had thought through what his headmaster had told him, had come back to apologise for trashing the room. He hadn't expected to find the headmaster and deputy headmistress attached by the mouth and oblivious to all around them. He snuck out of the room quietly, accidentally letting the door go. It slammed into place, startling Albus and Minerva. They stared around, and, seeing no one there, Minerva quickly stood up.

"Come in," Albus called. Harry turned back and sheepishly opened the door, looking at the floor.

"Um… I wanted to say I'm sorry for breaking your stuff," Harry muttered to the floor, embarrassed. Albus smiled at him, relieved.

"That's not a problem, Harry. It's all replaceable," Albus reassured him.

"Um, that was all… I'll go now," Harry said, then a sudden spark of mischievousness made him add something. "You looked, uh, _busy _when I came in before." And he slipped out of the door, after noting with satisfaction the blush that spread across Minerva's cheeks.

When Harry had gone, Minerva sat back down in Albus' lap.

"I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life," she muttered. Albus chuckled.

"You're gorgeous when you blush, you know that?" he said, and Minerva arched an eyebrow.

"Only when I blush?" she asked him teasingly.

"No, you're beautiful all the time," Albus told her, and stopped any more talk by kissing her firmly.

The relationship that ensued between Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall was one of love, of friendship, and of happiness. The two souls were complete when they were together and although no one knew of their involvement until Voldemort was defeated, the love they shared kept them strong through even the worst points in the war against evil.

* * *

Well, that was my first fic, I hope it wasn't too terrible! Please review but _be nice... please?_


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